


Sick of Having Soulmates

by lemondriz



Category: VIXX
Genre: Alcohol, Alternate Universe - Modern Setting, Happy Ending, M/M, Mild Smut, Smoking, Soulmate-Identifying Marks
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2020-09-11
Updated: 2020-09-11
Packaged: 2021-03-06 21:07:59
Rating: Mature
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 5,390
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/26405491
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/lemondriz/pseuds/lemondriz
Summary: In a world where your soulmate's name is permanently inked on your skin, Hakyeon and Hongbin have different names, but end up falling for each other anyway.
Relationships: Cha Hakyeon | N/Lee Hongbin
Comments: 13
Kudos: 39





	Sick of Having Soulmates

**Author's Note:**

> I hope this will give you some comfort during these trying times as a starlight ♡

"That'll be 8000 won. Yes, thank you. Have a good night."

Hongbin gives the customer a small smile, which immediately falls off his face the second she exists the store. It’s been an hour since his midnight shift started and he’s not faring too well.

“Fucking hell.”

He makes a face and doubles over, unable to control the pain that shoots through his left foot. He’d played football with his childhood friend Wonshik and his cousin Sanghyuk over the weekend and he may or may not have twisted his ankle while doing so.

Hongbin lifts his foot slightly and gingerly presses at the bandages.

“Oh fuck… just fuck me in the ass, it’ll probably hurt less.” he murmurs as he winces.

“That’s quite forward of you, but can we do that after I buy my ramyun?”

Shock rips through Hongbin at the sound of the unknown voice, and as he jolts up to see who it is, his foot goes crashing down, causing him to yelp in pain.

Tears leak out of Hongbin’s eyes and after checking for a few seconds, he gently sets his foot down and straightens up, rubbing at his eyes hastily.

Two men are standing before him, one slightly taller than the other. The shorter one smiles warmly, eyes bright.

“Did I startle you? Is your foot alright? I’m sorry!” chirps the man, not looking sorry at all.

“O-oh no. It’s fine. I’m okay.” Hongbin bites out, taking the packets of ramyun and scanning them as if he didn’t just make a fool of himself.

“Maybe you shouldn’t be inappropriate with strangers next time. You really need to stop surprising people.” The taller one says, his voice so soft that Hongbin might have missed it if the store wasn’t empty.

“Oh, come on Woonie, don’t start acting jealous now.” The shorter one squints at the nametag on Hongbin’s uniform. “Lee Hongbin-ssi is okay with my jokes, isn’t that right?”

Hongbin awkwardly averts his eyes, pushing the paper bag into the stranger’s arms and nodding twice.

The taller one just sighs and hands over the cash. When Hongbin hands them their receipt, the shorter one smiles and throws a wink.

“See you around, Lee Hongbin-ssi!” and with that the pair of them are gone with the tinkle of the store bell.

After a full 10 seconds of staring dumbfoundedly at the entrance, Hongbin’s curses echo through the empty store.

\---

Hongbin never really cared about the idea of soulmates.

Growing up, a name had always graced his wrist, a name in a language neither him nor his parents recognised. As he grew older and eventually moved into his own apartment, his parents left him to his own devices and stopped asking Hongbin to find out who his soulmate was. They’d told him so many stories of how they found each other and fell in love after glancing at each other’s wrists, but Hongbin brushed them off. He’d begrudgingly taken a guess that the name was in Russian, but he never bothered to search it up.

He didn’t want to.

He didn’t want a soulmate.

He had previously dated a girl in college, but they didn’t really hit it off and Hongbin had only said yes because Wonshik insisted he get some experience. It wasn’t awful, but it wasn’t great either and Hongbin was relieved when it ended after a year, when she found her soulmate and never looked back.

He was happy being on his own, having a handful of friends, sleeping or gaming through the day and working as a cashier through the night. It was a comfortable life and he never asked for more. The name on his wrist felt more like decoration than anything else.

At age 27, while his ex-classmates were working at desk jobs or getting married, he was happy living life on his own terms. He didn’t need someone to make his heart jump in his throat, he didn’t need the butterflies, the hugs and kisses and the reassurances that came with something as frivolous and temporary as love. Or so he kept telling himself.

\---

“You can’t keep calling me at work, pabo.”

“Yes, yes I can.”

“I’m busy!”

“Oh sure, I can barely hear you over all the customers you don’t have.”

Hongbin makes a face that Wonshik definitely can’t see over the phone and continues re-stocking the row of sanitary pads. He hikes his shoulder up to keep the phone from toppling.

“Half of my shift is spent in re-stocking goods more than attending to customers, Shik.”

“You should be careful, bro. Who even comes to a convenience store at 4 am? Creepy stalkers who want to murder someone, that’s who! You got your pepper spray on you, right?”

“Yes, mom.” Hongbin grits out, standing up and massaging his foot, glancing at where the spray is attached out of sight inside his uniform jacket. “Also, to your answer your first question, drunk students, drunk adults, people rushing to buy the morning after pill, early risers, joggers-“

“Yah, I get it. Just be careful.”

“I will, Shik.”

The bell at the store front jingles.

“Time to go?”

“Yeah. Say hi to Hyuk-ah for me. I’ll catch up with you both on Saturday.”

Hongbin ends the call and shoves his phone into his pocket. From where he is, he can’t see who has entered but their voices travel easily in the empty store.

“I knew it would be tough, but I didn’t expect it to be _this_ tough.”

“Don’t be like that, Woonie. Sometimes you gotta stick these things out. I know Jaehwan and he just needs some time.”

Hongbin senses some familiarity at the voices but brushes it off quickly. He pushes the empty cart and heads to the cash register. The two men are moving down an aisle and have their backs turned to him.

They turn a corner towards the ramyun section and Hongbin gets a glance at their faces for a moment. It’s the two people from last time, the tall and short couple.

Hongbin opens the register and tallies the cash against the receipts, unable to hear much of their conversation any longer. Words like “my soulmate” and “love” waft towards him from time to time but he pays it no mind.

The couple eventually approach him with their ramyun packets. Hongbin gives them a small bow before reaching out to scan the goods.

“Oh! Lee Hongbin-ssi, didn’t expect to see you again!” The shorter one exclaims.

There’s an awkward silence for 5 whole seconds before the taller one whispers loudly, “Hakyeon, he works here.”

“Well, of course, but I’m happy to see him again. How is your foot? Gosh, its been weeks since we met!”

Hongbin wonders why this man sounds like he’s catching up with him like he’s an old friend.

He also wonders why he bothers to humour him.

“It’s much better, thank you.” He answers as politely as possible, scanning the packets quickly, his ears going red.

“Aigoo, he’s so cute. Don’t you agree, Taekwoon?” the man called Hakyeon coos. Literally _coos_ as if Hongbin is a stray puppy. He hands them their bag and prays for the ground to swallow him whole.

The taller one, Taekwoon, lets out a heavy sigh.

“Stop flirting with the cashier, Hakyeon” he mutters and hands over the money, taking the bag. Hongbin takes the cash and catches a glimpse at the inky words printed on the man’s wrist.

_Oh._

Hakyeon just grins and locks his arms with Taekwoon.

“I’ll see you soon, Lee Hongbin-ssi” and they’re gone.

Hongbin realises five minutes later that he forgot to bid them goodbye.

\---

“He’s so??? He’s _so-_ “

“Use your words, Hongbin.”

Hongbin just splutters and gesticulates wildly, almost throwing his cigarette in the process. He’s at Wonshik’s for the weekend, and after several beers and maybe more cigarettes, he’s in that headspace where he must let out his woes or else, he will curl up like a shrimp and cry.

Wonshik stares at him with barely disguised disgust while Sanghyuk guffaws.

“This is Hongbin hyung’s gay awakening, hyung. Let him be.”

“Awakening? Seems more like a breakdown. I can’t remember the last time he freaked out over another human being and it’s clearly messing with his brain.” Wonshik replies.

Hongbin takes a deep breath and tries again, careful not to fall over the balcony railing.

“First things first, Matt Bomer in White Collar was my gay awakening. We don’t talk about that. Second,” he takes another breath, “he’s so annoying but interesting and I keep wanting to see more of him. Like... what the _fuck_? He came to the store the other night, on his own this time, and literally gave me his number. I don’t even remember how he did it or brought it up. THAT’S how smooth he is.” He takes a drag and sighs heavily.

“Okay, and why is that a bad thing? A fine ass man is into you, you should be celebrating.” Wonshik asks with his brows knitted.

“Hongbin hyung doesn’t do relationships.” Hyuk supplements, taking a swig of his beer happily.

“I call bullshit on that one. He doesn’t do relationships because he’s a lazy coward.”

“The reason doesn’t matter, hyung. The fact is that he doesn’t.”

“It does matter! He can’t keep holding himself back from a meaningful connection by being so stubborn. Eventually, his hair will fall off and he'll end up being the oldest virgin Twitch streamer in existence.”

At this point, Hongbin has slumped to the ground, back against the railings.

“Are you going to continue talking as if I’m not here?”

“Yes.” comes their reply in unison.

Hongbin shoots them both a glare before speaking.

“Look, that’s one reason. I’m absolute shit at relationships and the thought of one scares the fuck out of me. But there’s a bigger reason as to why I’m hesitating.”

His friends wait for him to speak and he fidgets with a chipped piece of wood on the floor.

“He and his best friend, the one he keeps coming to the store with, are soulmates.”

Sanghyuk’s eyes widen at the same time Wonshik chokes dramatically on his beer.

“Whoa. Hyung, your life is like a sitcom.” Hyuk mutters in awe while Wonshik clears his throat.

“Holy shit. Hongbin. Are you serious?”

Hongbin just smiles sadly and looks at the pair of them. He reaches for another cigarette and lights it up.

“Fucking hell. And he knows you know?”

“Yeah, he does. He’s very aware. I had seen his name on his best friend’s wrist a few days before that. After he gave me his number, he told me on his own.” He sighs, leaning his head back and watching the smoke permeate into the evening air.

“The man’s honest, gotta give him that.” Wonshik mutters, stealing some chips from Sanghyuk’s packet.

“A bit too honest. He doesn’t have any filter, it seems. He wanted to tell me all about his ‘platonic’ relationship with his best friend, but I got too flustered and made him leave while promising to text him.”

“And you didn’t text him yet, did you, you little shit?” Wonshik yells, throwing a stray chip at Hongbin.

It falls to the floor and Hongbin pops it into his mouth while Sanghyuk fake pukes in the background.

“I dunno if I should…”

Wonshik just looks at him, a sympathetic look on his face that Hongbin truly hates.

Before he can speak, Sanghyuk says, “Look hyung, this is the time to be taking risks. He seems to be honest and there can’t be any possible reason why he would wanna mess around with you. You work at a convenience store. You have literally nothing to offer him. Just trust him.”

“Gee. thanks for the vote of confidence, Hyukkie” Hongbin snarks, blowing smoke in his direction.

Wonshik, however, looks thoughtful. “No, the maknae’s right. What do you have to lose, Bin? No one is saying it has to be serious. Just text him and have some fun, go on dates. If it goes south, walk away. But give it a try?”

The soul mark on Hongbin’s wrist aches dully, the one he can’t and won’t decipher. He thinks about Hakyeon who has a best friend for a soulmate, a best friend who is a tall, lean, well-spoken and gorgeous man. And he still chose to repeatedly seek out Hongbin in the wee hours of the morning in a random convenience store in Seoul.

_“I hope to hear from you soon, Lee Hongbin-ssi. I’d very much like to get you know you better. And I get the feeling you do, too.”_

Hongbin squeezes his eyes shut.

“I’ll think about it.”

Wonshik and Sanghyuk exchange looks, silently agreeing to drop the subject.

Hongbin finishes the last of his cigarette as Sanghyuk talks about his classes. He flicks the stub, eyes unfocussed for a second, and makes up his mind.

\---

“Hi.”

Hongbin blows smoke into the night air and turns from where he’s perched against the wall of the convenience store at sound of the voice.

Hakyeon approaches him, a smile on his face, and Hongbin feels a little jump in his chest.

_Pathetic._

He looks good, his brain dumbly registers. He’s dressed in slacks and a light blue shirt, a silver watching glinting on his wrist, and his black hair is styled down. He looks like the definition of ‘casual yet put together’ and Hongbin hates it.

He tells himself he hates it.

“Hi.” He replies, stubbing the cigarette against the smoking stand and dusting his hands on his worn trousers.

Hakyeon smiles. “I’m glad you texted. A bit surprised you chose to meet outside your place of work on your day off, though.”

Hongbin just shrugs, averting his eyes before he’s caught staring. “Just seemed easier since we both know this place.”

“Well, since you work here and I can assume that you are familiar with this area, where do you want to go?”

“Don’t you know this area too? You come here so often I figured you live nearby.”

“Already thinking of where I live, huh?”

Hongbin’s eyes widen at the insinuation, but he sees Hakyeon’s eyes crinkle in amusement and he huffs.

“I’m kidding, Hongbin-ssi. I don’t live here, Taekwoon does.”

At the mention of his best friend, Hongbin swallows thickly. He doesn’t want to think about it too much. He really doesn’t want to think-

“He’s the one who brought me here the first time. And, well, after I encountered you, I’ve been the one dragging him here for an excuse to see you.”

Hakyeon says this with a calm smile on his face and Hongbin takes a moment to process the words.

“Are you always so blunt?” he splutters, worrying that he’s coming across as rude.

Hakyeon just chuckles, hands in his pockets. “Yes and no. Mostly, yes. Taekwoon keeps telling me my honesty is not always a good trait. I’m yet to see how so, though.”

“Huh” Hongbin says, a tad bit _(very)_ tongue-tied.

“So, where are you taking me, Hongbin-ssi?”

\---

The weather is perfect, not warm but not cold either, just pleasant enough to walk down the river and appreciate the twinkling of lights across the water. It’s not too late, sometime close to ten in the night, and couples and families walk around them, a couple of children running past, rushing to buy snacks. They walk comfortably and eat their ice creams, finding a bench at the waterfront and choosing to sit down for a while to rest Hongbin’s foot that is almost completely healed.

Hongbin discovers that Cha Hakyeon is 30 years old and lives alone. He works at a publishing firm as an editor.

“It’s not too hectic so I don’t have crazy working hours or anything. But it keeps me busy enough.”

“Hey, are you taking a dig at my job?”

Hakyeon laughs a tinkling laugh at that and Hongbin refuses to acknowledge how much he likes the sound.

“Maybe, maybe not. Depends on how you interpret my statement.”

“I don’t waste time with analysis and interpretations. I call it like I see it.”

“How very straightforward of you.”

Hongbin scoffs around his chocolate bar but he has a smile on his face.

“I like making assumptions and studying people, and things. Maybe it comes with the job, but its interesting to me.” Hakyeon says as he stares out at the water.

Hongbin follows his gaze for a few seconds, then plucks up the courage and looks at him.

“Does that mean you’ve studied me?”

“Yes. Of course.” He replies, turning to meet his gaze. Hongbin holds it for a second and jerks away, trying not to let his heart race crazily.

“If you want to ask if I made assumptions about you, you can.”

“What? Why would I care haha, I don’t-“

Hakyeon just raises his eyebrow, as if challenging him.

Hongbin slumps. “Maybe? Am I that obvious?”

“Only a little” Hakyeon concedes, that beautiful smile on his face once again. Hongbin wants to punch a wall.

Hakyeon’s tongue darts out to lick some strawberry ice-cream that’s trickling down the side of his cone and Hongbin wills himself to keep his cool.

“You’re a bit of mystery, to be honest. You seem very indifferent and aloof on the outside, almost as if that’s what you want to portray to the outside world. And you’ve internalised some of it, too. But you’re much more than that. I can't quite tell you exactly what that is, you'll have to give me more time for that, I'm afraid.”

Hakyeon speaks softly, the moonlight dancing across his eyes and Hongbin stays quiet.

“Did I get any of that wrong?”

Hongbin can’t seem to find the words, so he just shakes his head imperceptibly.

And he’s rewarded with a blinding smile.

_“I’m so fucking fucked.”_

_\---_

They don’t meet for a while after that, resorting to texting a few times a week. Hongbin doesn’t know how to bring it up, but he knows Hakyeon is busy with his work. Otherwise he would have come around to the store in the middle of the night to see him, that's for sure.

He finds himself thinking about their date more often than he’s used to. Would he call it a date? He supposes he should. They walked around and almost accidentally held hands after they brushed together (Hongbin almost jumped in fear when it happened). They took a bus and Hongbin saw him off at his stop, feeling oddly giddy on his way home alone.

He tries not to think too much about the implications, but this is the first time he’s felt this way about someone else. He’s not used to butterflies in his belly when he gets a text from him, to smiling over a silly joke he’s shared, to flying fingers as he rushes to reply to his banter with equal fervour.

Hongbin has always been the laid-back, chill friend, not really caring too much or bothering if things didn’t go his way. He’s not used to being excited or looking forward to something.

It scares the living hell out of him.

The bell over the store front tinkles and it shakes Hongbin out of his reverie.

_“Oh.”_

Taekwoon enters and raises an arm in greeting, this time alone. Hongbin waves back, a second too late, and Taekwoon disappears into the aisles.

His inner wrist pulses dully.

Hongbin bristles and goes back to his monitor at the cash register.

Taekwoon walks up to him a short while later, placing chewing gum, chips, ramyun and some candy on the counter.

“Hello.” The taller man says softly.

“Hello.” Hongbin says, bowing stiffly, and starts tallying up the items.

“I heard your date with Hakyeonnie went well.”

Hongbin wasn’t expecting him to speak, and he quickly resumes composure.

“Yeah, haha. It was nice. He’s a nice guy.”

Taekwoon gives him a small smile. “Yeah, he really is.”

There’s a bit of an awkward silence as Hongbin puts all the items in a bag and hands it over with the receipt. Taekwoon pays and takes the bag.

“Thank you.”

Hongbin’s eyebrows furrow. “You’re welcome?” his words come out more like a weird question and he curses internally.

Taekwoon just smiles. “For your service, of course. And… for giving my best friend a chance.” His eyes twinkle pleasantly. He bows slightly and exits the store.

Hongbin thinks he should keep a tally of how often he’s rendered speechless these days.

\---

It’s a dreary Tuesday morning at the ass crack of dawn when Hongbin ends his shift and shrugs out of his uniform. He’s looking forward to grabbing some tea and heading home to sleep through the exhaustion.

He doesn’t expect to see Hakyeon waiting for him outside the store.

“Morning, Hongbinnie.”

“Hyung.”

Hakyeon smiles, his face worn, bare but happy in the early morning light.

“What are you doing here?”

Hakyeon links their arms together as they walk and Hongbin shivers for just a second before he relaxes at the contact.

“I came all the way to this neighbourhood to buy ramyun at 6 am. What did you think?”

“Here I thought we had something going. How unfortunate.” Hongbin shakes his head in mock sadness.

Hakyeon just squeezes their arms tighter and drags him along, the pair of them giggling like schoolboys.

It’s been a few months since they started seeing each other. Sometimes, Hongbin has to pause and let the fact that he’s _dating_ someone register fully. But with every text, with every call, with every meet-up, with every hug and with every light kiss on the lips, Hongbin lets himself fall a little bit more, lets the warm feeling wash over his guarded heart and melt it bit by bit. Its addictive in a way he’s never known or anticipated before. Wonshik makes fun of him ( _“bro I didn’t know much of a simp you could be”_ ) but Hongbin knows that his himbo of a best friend is just proud of his progress.

He finds that he’s not so scared anymore. Well... maybe just a little.

He thinks of the name gracing Hakyeon's wrist from time to time, and each time the three of them hang out, he finds his mind drifting off to dark places despite them doing nothing to make him think of the worst case scenario. He thinks of the stranger's name on his wrist more often, too. Thoughts are always lurking at the back of his mind but he doesn't let himself dwell on them. He's happy and he wants things with Hakyeon to be like this for a long time.

“I took the day off work today and thought I’d surprise you.” Hakyeon speaks as they wait at the bus stop. “You must be tired after your shift, so let me just take care of you. If you’d let me?” He interlocks their fingers and squeezes lightly, reaching out to move Hongbin’s fringe from his eyes with his other hand.

“You’re offering to be my nanny for the day?” Hongbin asks in disbelief, scoffing a bit more than usual because he’s just so _overwhelmed_ at the thought of being cared for.

Hakyeon scoffs back. “Don’t push your luck.”

Something surges through Hongbin, something foreign and strange but inviting, and he asks lowly, “What if I do?”

Hakyeon meets his eyes just as the bus pulls up, replying in a teasing whisper, “That’s for me to know and you to find out.”

And Hongbin just lets himself be pulled into the bus, struggling to come up with a response.

\---

After a generous breakfast of eggs and rice, they’re sitting side by side on Hongbin’s mattress, backs propped up by pillows against the wall and facing the open window, watching daylight stream into Hongbin’s tiny apartment. Hongbin shifts a bit and blinks back sleepy eyes, arm brushing Hakyeon’s in the process.

Hakyeon takes a sip of his banana milk and pauses to look at the sleepy lump next to him. Hongbin’s eyes flutter and his brown hair is cutely dishevelled, and no one really knows how it happens but Hongbin slides down and rests his head on Hakyeon’s shoulder in the blink of an eye.

Hongbin doesn’t let himself think too about it much through his sleep addled brain.

“Hey” comes the beautiful melodic voice. Hongbin feels strong arms lift him slightly and he almost whines.

“Easy now” he hears and feels himself being laid down on the mattress so gently, so carefully.

His eyes are almost fully shut and he’s so comfortable but the figure next to him is pulling away and the voice is fading and-

He reaches out in a frenzy and grabs at the sleeve. He doesn’t say anything, but a faint rouge dusts his cheeks and he tugs twice at the cloth.

_Please don’t make me say the words._

The figure is still for a few seconds and Hongbin is worried that he’s done something wrong. Before he gets the chance to fully panic, there is a dip in the cot and Hakyeon lies down, adjusting himself so that his face is inches away.

“Goodnight, Hongbinnie.” He says with a smile and Hongbin’s heart beats at a stilted rhythm.

He doesn’t reply and they just lie there, staring at each other and basking in the quiet presence of the other, birds chirping in the distance and vehicles whirring past down on the street.

Eventually, their eyes droop shut. Hongbin’s not sure if he imagines it, if he’s already dreaming, but he feels the feather light touch of lips on his own and arms snaking around his waist as he drifts off into the land of dreams.

\---

When Hongbin stirs awake, its to the sun setting outside the window, casting the room in a dull orange hue, and wiry limbs entangled in each other. He attempts to break free to stretch his muscles, but Hakyeon has a surprisingly strong grip for someone who's asleep. 

Which he isn't, Hongbin discovers.

Hakyeon pulls his face close, tired eyes fluttering away the last traces of sleep. He holds his cheek with one hand while the other brushes away soft locks from his forehead. 

"Did you sleep well?" Hakyeon asks so softly, as if he doesn't want to shatter the blanket of tranquility that's settled upon the apartment. 

"Yeah. You?" Hongbin's voice is scratchy from the lack of use. He's trying his best to will his heart to slow down, but when Hakyeon doesn't reply and instead leans in and places his lips on his, he loses all semblance of order. 

The kiss is soft and sweet, not unlike their kisses from the past. But soon Hongbin has a strong grip in Hakyeon's hair and they open their mouths together, letting the other take their time to explore, tilting their heads to deepen the kiss. 

Hongbin lets out a small mewl when Hakyeon shifts to grip at his hips. He pulls at Hakyeon's hair a bit, admiring the long expanse of his neck before settling on a sweet spot and sucking a bruise firmly yet slowly. 

Hongbin doesn't know what's come over him, what sort of spell he's under. But now that he's had a taste, he doesn't want to stop.

And when Hakyeon climbs on top of him, his shirt hanging off his shoulder, hair mussed, the hickey bright red on his neck, looking down at him with heavily lidded eyes, grinding slowly and looking so beautifully wrecked already, Hongbin knows that Hakyeon doesn't want to stop, either.

So, they don't.

\---

They don’t talk much about the marks on their wrists.

There’s barely any reason to, really. Things are going so well between them and Hongbin doesn’t want to shatter what they've worked together to build. 

Hakyeon doesn’t ask Hongbin what would happen if he bumped into his soulmate on a holiday in a foreign country. Hongbin doesn’t ask Hakyeon what would happen if he woke up one day and broke down Taekwoon’s door, rushing into his arms and realising he’s been the one for him all along.

That doesn’t mean they don’t think about it, letting the thoughts stew and bubble over before shelving it away for later.

It’s a quiet Friday evening and they’re back at the waterfront they’d gone to for their first date, all those months ago. Hakyeon tells him about Taekwoon and his weak attempts to court his co-worker Jaehwan, who is having a hard time coming around because of Hakyeon’s name on his wrist. Hakyeon is always visibly sad when he talks about it, his eyes drooping and voice soft with worry.

“We still have that soulmate connection, you know?”

Hongbin doesn’t know.

Hakyeon sees the look on his face and sighs. “I mean, I want him to be happy with someone who he loves with all his heart. I can’t rest easy knowing that he has this problem.”

He’s quiet for a few seconds, expression thoughtful, and he speaks up again, “I think that’s where the misconception lies. Soulmates don’t always have to be romantic or sexual, you know? I just know that he is always going to be an important part of my life and that we will always have each other’s best interests at heart. But I can’t see myself spending my life with him.”

Hongbin never asked, never brought up his concerns regarding Hakyeon’s soulmate situation, but Hakyeon brought it up and eased Hongbin’s mind anyway. He figures its only fair he returns the favour as best as he can.

“I.. I think I get it.” Hongbin replies quietly. “We can’t completely evade fate no matter how much we try. I just… I just hate the fact that some invisible force is getting us to feel things. It just makes me feel so out of my own depth, like we’re puppets who are unable to do things on our own with no sense of control.”

Hakyeon reaches out to squeeze Hongbin’s hand in his own.

“But I’m glad that I met you, hyung. Fate may scream and yell at me all it wants, it’s probably telling me to book a flight and go chase my soulmate right this moment, but I don’t fucking care. I don’t want to live a life bound by an invisible force which subconsciously makes me believe I’m acting of free will.”

He squeezes his eyes shut and is suddenly aware of how much this has been bothering him, how it fucking _hurts_ and how he’s been battling with his thoughts for months on end, refusing to deal with them.

“Binnie, look at me.”

A cool breeze whips past, ruffling their bangs, and Hongbin opens his eyes, tears spilling over onto pink cheeks.

People are walking by, cars are honking in the distance and kids are screaming and running in delight but Hakyeon disregards all of it as he leans in and cups Hongbin’s face, kissing him deep and slow.

Hongbin slumps in an instant, melting in his arms and gripping Hakyeon’s hand on his face as he kisses back, letting Hakyeon swallow his concerns.

It’s not their first kiss, but Hongbin thinks it’s one of his favourites.

Hakyeon breaks the kiss first, resting his forehead on his and looking like Hongbin hung the stars in the sky. His fingers gently brush away the stray tears and Hongbin closes his eyes, basking in the comfort.

“I love that you’ve opened up to me so much over the past year. I love that you’re living life on your own terms. I love that you can stay up gaming for 12 hours straight without blinking an eye. I love you have someone else's name on your wrist, but you only have eyes for me. I love the person that you are today, still reserved and a bit guarded but unafraid to love with all that you've got, unafraid to stand up for what you believe in. I love you, Hongbinnie.”

Hongbin’s eyes open slowly and all he sees looking back at him is a man on the verge of tears, looking at him with all the love and adoration in the world.

He leans in and whispers so faintly, lips ghosting over the other’s ever so lightly, “I love you too, hyung.”

And as they melt into one another, the background noises fade into nothingness once more.

**Author's Note:**

> Thank you for reading ♡
> 
> Feel free to reach out to me at my [twitter](https://twitter.com/chabeannie) if you want to chat!


End file.
